The Astronomik UHC is THE filter for visual observing.

You will enjoy using your Astronomik UHC filter because you will see more stars and more details in deep-sky-objects compared to using filters from all other manufacturers.

The Astronomik UHC (Ultra High Contrast) filter allows the transmission of nearly 100% of the radiation from both O-III and the H beta lines. Though the second window for the H-alpha-line is not intended for visual observing, it is important, if the filter is used with an electronic device. All annoying, scattered light from other wavelength sources, including local artificial light pollution, is reliably filtered out. With this strong blocking of the sky background an unexpected wealth of detail becomes visible for gas nebulae and planetary nebulae.

Main use

Astronomik UHC filters’ astounding high light transmission brings better views of deep-sky-objects even to small telescopes! The high transmission of our optical glass filters means that enough light is available to allow successful visual observations with telescopes beginning at 2" (50mm) aperture. Our Astronomik filters are optimized for use with telescope focal length f / ratios of f/4 to f/15. Transmission losses and chromatic distortions, which arise with other filters, only occur with Astronomik filters when extremely bright aperture ratios of 1:2 and more come into play. Another major advantage of our Astronomik UHC filter is the high optical quality of the filter glass. When using Astronomik UHC filters you will quickly notice the same needle-sharp stars which you are familiar with from your astronomical instrument without any filter!

Suitability

• Visual observation (dark skies): Very good, for telescopes of all apertures and high exit pupil
• Visual observation (urban skies): Very good, for telescops from 100 mm aperture
• Film photography: Reasonable, but very long exposure time
• CCD photography: Good, when used with an additional IR-block-filter
• DSLR photography (original): Good, colour balance shifted but contrast enhanced
• DSLR photography (astro modified): Very good, colour balance is near perfect
• DSLR photography (MC modified): Good, when used with an additional IR-block-filter
• Webcam / Video (Planets): Unsuitable
• Webcam / Video (Deep Sky): Good, if light pollution is a big problem

Technical Data

• typ. 95% transmission at 486nm (H-beta)
• typ. 95% transmission at 496nm (OIII)
• typ. 95% transmission at 501nm (OIII)
• typ. 95% transmission at 656nm (H alpha)
• optimum position of transmission for telescopes with focal ratios from f/10 to f/3,5
• Entire Blocking of annoying wavelengths
• Ideal All-round Deep Sky filter even for small telescopes
• Not sensitive to humidity or aging
• Scratch-resistant!
• Excellent carrier material. The optical performance of your telescope is not reduced by the filter in any way.
• Parfocal with other Astronomik filters
• Glass thickness: 1mm
• Completely resistant against high humidity, scratches and aging effects
• Diffraction limited, the filter will not reduce the optical performance of your telescope!
• Astronomik filters are delivered in a high-quality, long lasting, filter box

Optolong UV/IR Cut filter is designed for ultraviolet and infrared wavelength blocking to improve sharpness of the image as most of the optics are designed for the visible spectrum, because it’s very difficult to create a lens with the same focal point for the visible and IR spectrum.

It is used on a digital camera and the video, which do not have an IR protection filter toward an image sensor or were remodeled. This is important because unfiltered CCD and CMOS sensors are extremely susceptible to UV and IR rays just outside the visible spectrum that can have a very negative impact on image quality.

Main Use and Performance

Suitable for color CMOS and CCD cameras and modified DSLRs.

Use with monochrome CCD for astrophotography.

Available to assist in focusing.

Act as an outstanding dust shield, which prevents the possibility of dust settling on the lens during long time exposure.

WARNING: The filters of Optolong are not designed for sun observation. DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITH OPTOLONG FILTER. You would be BLIND if you fail to observe the warning.

The Astronomik H-alpha filter is a narrow band filter for CCD photography. The filter lets the H-alpha light of emission nebulae pass and blocks nearly the whole remainder of the spectrum where the CCD is sensitive.

The full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 12nm is optimized for the use with common CCD cameras and allows the use of very fast optics. It should be noted that the filter has a transmission of up to 99%.Another advantage of the 12nm filters is the availability of guiding stars for cameras with a built-in-autoguider (SBIG). If you use a very strong filter like our 6nm filter you often won’t find a usable guidestar.The range of application extends from 1:2.8 to 1:15. Transmission losses and chromatic distortions, which arise with other filters, only occur with Astronomik filters when extremely bright aperture ratios of 1:2 and more come into play.

Main use

The Astronomik H-alpha-CCD (12nm version) increases the contrast between objects, in this case between the H-alpha emission line and the skyglow background. Our Astronomik H-alpha-CCD (12nm version) completely suppresses the emission lines of artificial lighting (mercury (Hg) and sodium (Na)) and skyglow.

Other uses

• When using the OIII CCD and the SII-CCD filters you can obtain three-color images of emission line objects (gas nebulae) from locations with very strong light pollution. To do so, you would take an image in three different wavelengths, select each one as a color-channel in Photoshop and paste them together as a color image.
• The Astronomik H-Alpha filters may NOT be used for solar observation.
• If you plan to create color images from emission line data, our CLS-CCD filter is a great choice for the Luminance channel.

Suitability

• Visual observation (dark skies): Unsuitable
• Visual observation (urban skies): Unsuitable
• Film photography: Reasonable, but very long exposure times
• CCD photography: Very good, huge contrast enhancement at H II-emission nebulas
• DSLR photography (original): Good, reduced sensitivity in the H-alpha band
• DSLR photography (astro modified): Very good, huge contrast enhancement at H II-emission nebulas
• DSLR photography (MC modified): Very good, huge contrast enhancement at H II-emission nebulas
• Webcam / Video (Planets): Unsuitable
• Webcam / Video (Deep Sky): Good, good contrast enhancement with bright objects

Technical Data

• typ. transmission of more then 95% at the H-alpha line (656nm)
• Complete blocking from all disturbing wavelengths in the infrared
• Parfocal with other Astronomik filters
• Glass thickness: 1mm
• Completely resistant against high humidity, scratches and aging effects
• Diffraction limited, the filter will not reduce the optical performance of your telescope!
• Astronomik filters are delivered in a high-quality, long lasting, filter box
• Since 2008 we do ship filters with a completely new design. Any kind of halo or strange reflection is a matter of past

Dark Filter 1.25 inch

Our 1,25" (M28,5) filters fit perfectly in all 1,25" (M28,5) filter wheels of the brands ZWO, QHY, QSI, Starlight Xpress, SBIG, Moravian and Atik.

The orientation of the filter in the filter wheel does not matter. It does not change the optical performance.

Dark Filter 2 inch

Our 2" (M48) filters fit perfectly in all 2" (M48) filter wheels of the brands ZWO, QHY, QSI, Starlight Xpress, SBIG, Moravian and Atik.

The orientation of the filter in the filter wheel does not matter. It does not change the optical performance.

Dark filter 31mm

Our 31mm filters fit perfectly in all 31mm filter wheels of the brands ZWO, QHY, QSI, Starlight Xpress, SBIG, Moravian and Atik. The design with protective ring and blackened filter edges prevents stray light, the filters are mechanically protected and easier to handle.

The orientation of the filter in the filter wheel does not matter. It does not change the optical performance.

Dark filter 36mm

Our 36mm filters fit perfectly in all 36mm filter wheels of the brands ZWO, QHY, QSI, Starlight Xpress, SBIG, Moravian and Atik. The design with protective ring and blackened filter edges prevents stray light, the filters are mechanically protected and easier to handle.

The orientation of the filter in the filter wheel does not matter. It does not change the optical performance.

L-eNhance filter
The relentless spread of urbanization and its associated light pollution have become a growing problem for all amateur astrophotographers. The current solutions to the problem can be expensive and might include the purchase of a monochrome camera, several types of narrowband filters, and a filter wheel.

Optolong L-eNhance filter provides an economical and practical solution for amateurs. It is a dual-band pass filter that has been designed for DSLR (digital SLR), color CMOS, and monochrome CCD cameras. The convenience and cost-effectiveness of this filter allow amateurs to image a rich selection of astronomical images, even in bright, heavily light-polluted areas. Optolong believes the design of our L-eNhance filter is a technical innovation among filters. It effectively isolates the H-Alpha, H-Beta, and Oxygen III nebula emission lines and achieves a maximum transmission of up to 90%. The performance of this filter delivers images that superbly control the impact of light-polluted skies.

Hydrogen is the largest, the most primitive, the simplest, and the oldest element in the universe. Scientists consider that Hydrogen amounts to more than 90% of visible substances in space. Our sun is 5 billion years old, but so far hydrogen is still the key matter of nuclear fusion. While the sulfur element does not have much scientific significance, keeping H and O is meaningful for the exploration of life.
Therefore, we highlight H-a, H-b, O3, and O2, and reduce the signal of sulfur.

2. Spectrum and Characteristic
Substrate: B270
Thickness: 1.85mm
Tpeak: T>90%
Blocking range: 300-1000nm
Blocking depth: light pollution line blocking >99%
Surface quality: 60/40
Transmitted Wavefront RMS: λ/4
Parallelism: 30s

How to read the chart?

▲The horizontal axis is the Wavelength in Nanometers(nm).

▲The vertical axis is transmission in %.

▲The WHITE line shows the transmission of the filter. The artificial emission lines are shown in Yellow. The emission lines from the constellation are shown in GREEN, BLUE, AND RED.

SKU: 13801

Optolong L-Pro 1.25 inch is multi-bandpass filter which offers better color balance by maximizing the transmission band. The balanced transmission allows astrophotos to be taken with minimal color cast to broadband emission objects such as galaxies, reflection nebulae and globular star clusters.

Warning - Do not use this filter for solar purposes !

Optolong L-Pro (L-Professional) filter is designed to improve the visibility of various deepsky objects. By selectively reducing the transmission of wavelengths of light pollutants, specifically those produced by artificial lightings including mercury vapor lamps, both high & low pressure sodium vapor lights and the unwanted natural light caused by neutral oxygen emission in our atmosphere (i.e. skyglow). Together with the highly transparent in main nebula emission lines at OIII(496nm and 500nm), H-beta (486nm), NII(654nm and 658nm), H-alpha(656nm) as well as SII(672nm), the filter is suitable for enhancing the contrast and details for both visual and photograghic purpose at sub-rural area with heavy light pollution.

Optolong L-Pro is multi-bandpass filter which offers better color balance by maximizing the transmission band. The balanced transmission allows astrophotos to be taken with minimal color cast to broadband emission objects such as galaxies, reflection nebulae and globular star clusters. L-Pro is the best choice for light pollution suppression.

• Optical glass fine material
• Spectrum: 380-750nm
• Surface Quality: 60/40 (Refer to MIL-O-13830)
• Fine-optically polished to ensure accurate 1/4 wavefront and < 30 seconds parallelism over the both surfaces
• High transmission at major nebula emission lines (i.e. H-alpha 656nm, OIII 496nm&500nm, SII 672nm and H-beta 486nm).
• Precision off-band blocking, specifically the major emission lines of artificial light pollution (i.e. Na 589nm, Hg 435nm and 578nm).

L-eXtreme is a two 7nm bandpass filter which can be used with one-shot color cameras like DSLR's (digital SLR), and monochrome CCD cameras, it is also more suited for fast systems. The convenience and cost effectiveness of this filter allows amateurs to image a rich emission nebulas, even in bright, light pollution skies. Optolong believes the design of L-eXtreme filter would be better choice for fast systems in competitive price. It isolates the H-Alpha, and Oxygen III nebula emission lines so that the contrast and signal-to-noise ratio between nebulae were maximized. For people who is living in very light polluted areas, or when the moon is out, the L-eXtreme will be a good filter.

Unlike the Optolong L-eNhance filter which is a tri-band (transmits Hb, Ha, and OIII), the L-eXtreme filter is dual band that passes Ha and OIII emission lines.The advantage of the L-eXtreme filter is that there is no transmission between the H-beta and OIII lines, as there is no nebula emission lines there. In this case, it isn't letting light pollution come through so that maximize nebulas signal and make the sky background darker while imaging. The L-eXtreme filter should better isolate the emission lines only and better protect from light pollution.

Hydrogen is the largest, the most primitive, the simplest, and the oldest element in the universe. Scientists consider that Hydrogen amounts to more than 90% of visible substance in space. Our sun is 5 billion years old, but so far hydrogen is still the key matter of nuclear fusion. While the sulfur element does not have much scientific significance, so keeping H and O is meaning for exploration of life.
Therefore, we highlight H-a, H-b, O3 and O2, and reduce the signal of sulfur.

Spectrum and Characteristics

• Sbustrate: B270
• Thickness: 1.85mm
• Tpeak: T>90%
• Blocking range: 300-1000nm
• Blcoking depth: light pollution line blocking >99%
• Surface quality: 60/40
• Transmitted Wavefront RMS: λ/4

Astronomik now offers you a range of three different UV+IR blockers as Luminance filters. The different spectral window of each new Luminance filters is designed to tune your setup to get the sharpest image from any optical design and any camera.

The Luminance channel is probably the most important for a great final image! You want as much signal as possible so the filter should have the highest transmission possible with a wide spectral bandpass. This combination provides the greatest sensitivity and gives you the highest photon counts on your pixels. While the high transmission level is a great aspect of the new Astronomik Luminance filters, not all optical instruments or additional optical elements like correctors, field-flatteners or reducers, have perfect colour correction so it can be the width of the spectral band pass of  the Luminance filter that can cause problems. A band pass that is too wide will allow the transmission of incompletely focused light (Chromatic aberration), making stars appear soft or bloated. In such cases image processing can become difficult, so having a slightly narrowed spectral window in your Luminance filter can reduce or eliminate this damaging effect.

To give you all the tools to gather the best data possible we have expanded our line of Luminance filters: Now you can select a Luminance filter perfectly matched to the kind of telescope you use, to get the highest signal and sharpest image for the Luminance channel!
Depending on the color correction of your scope you may use a wider spectral window for the Luminance data. The L1 filter has the widest spectral window, the L2 is about the same as our current L-Filter and the L3 is much narrower.
If you use an optical system that is completely free of any chromatic aberration you should get an L1 filter for your setup. For general use the L2 filter is well suited to most optical systems with a corrector, flattener or reducer in the optical train while the L3 filter is designed for users of refractors with a less-than-perfect color correction and in combination with the new Deep-Sky RGB filters, the L3 filter will minimise the problem of bluish halos around stars.

The transmission curve characteristics and coatings on the new Luminance filters have been designed and engineered in such a way that no halos or reflections will be visible. Even with bright stars in the field of view you will be able to reveal the faintest structures in nebulas or galaxies.

Like all Astronomik Filters, the new Luminance filters are made using an extremely durable and scratch resistant coating, deposited on the finest polished optical substrate, which is free of any striae or internal strains. All substrates are made to exactly the same thickness, so all of our filters are parfocal.

Additional note for observers working under light polluted skies:
If your observing site suffers from light pollution you should try to use our CLS-CCD as a replacement for the Luminance filter. The transmission curve of the CLS-CCD will give you approximately the same amount of energy in all three colour channels while blocking nearly all unwanted artifical light pollution. Customers who replaced the Lx filter with the CLS-CCD are amazed by the increased quality of their data. This small change gives you the opportunity to take much deeper images from your current observing site.

The Antlia LRGB-V Pro series filters are designed for monochrome cameras that use both CCD and CMOS sensors. Suitable sensors include KAF/KAI sensors, Sony IMX sensors, GSENSE and other sensor manufacturers. The LRGB-V Pro set is designed to approximately equalize the RGB response from the flux of red-sensitive CCD detectors. The result is that you achieve 1:1:1 equalized RGB exposures with the benefit of simplified post processing and reduced imaging time. New LRGB-V Pro series filters feature a carefully designed spectral gap between the green and red channels to minimize the effect of light pollution and to provide high transmittance of useful frequencies. The filters’ design maximizes the capture of details from fainter galaxies and nebulae emissions. The LRGB-V Pro series filters guarantee the high transmission of the OIII band in both the B and G filters (OIII signal >95% in blue and green). The bandwidth of the B channel is narrowed for the purpose of improving the blue channel overflow (haloing) around the star due to B channel overexposure. Antlia LRGB-V Pro series filters block the emission line around 589nm by the design of wide gap between G and R filters, which suppresses much of the light pollution from high pressure sodium and mercury street lamps and results in a more natural color balance. The uniformity in substrate thickness delivers good parfocal performance across all Antlia filters.

Highlight of LRGB-V Pro series set

1. Premium coating technology and finely polished substrate Our quality selection processes are optimized to ensure highly homogeneous glass-substrates. Our application of advanced optical coating technology and double-sided precision polishing achieves both consistent parfocal and optical performance across all filters. 2. Maximized colour balance and contrast for each of the three RGB channels and excellent S/N performance Dozens of coating layers are deposited on both sides of the glass substrate that enables LRGB-V Pro filters to achieve a high SNR. The Anti reflection coatings and carefully designed spectral gaps minimize unwanted light scatter and maximize useful signal data for each filter channel.

3. Tighter star profiles and halo reduction The cut-off rate of LRGB-V Pro series set is designed in high level to minimize halos around brighter stars and reduce star bloat. Our careful design of the blue channel transmission characteristics targets the problem of blue star bloating.

Application and Performance:

1. Designed for monochrome CCD and CMOS cameras

2. Great imaging colors for celestial objects, galaxies, star clusters and nebulae

3. AR anti-reflection film design for secondary reflection and star halo reduction

4. R-Filter provides maximum transmission of H-alpha and S II emission

5. B/G overlap doubles the energy in the OIII line

6. Balanced RGB-design offer 1:1:1 exposure times for most telescope optical systems

7. All Antlia LRGB-V Pro filters are edge blackened to eliminate internal reflections from stray light

8. The substrate thickness of each of the four LRGB filers is maintained to tight tolerances

9. Not recommended for Solar observing and imaging

10. Not recommended for visual observation

Important Note: When using any parfocal filters, the user may still experience focus shifts between filters during long imaging sessions. It is important to remember that temperature shifts will change the length of the optical path due to the differential contraction between the telescope tube and the glass optical elements. It is recommended that the photographers check focus either manually or automatically in software every 1 to 2 hours. In cases where the telescope has been brought from a warm environment to outside, more frequent focus checks are required until the equipment has stabilized nearer to ambient temperature.

Technical Specifications:

Basic Substrate: optical substrate

Filter Thickness: 2mm+/-0.05mm for 1.25’’

Surface Quality: S/D (scratch/dig)= 60/40 (Refer to MIL-O-13830)

Transmitted Wavefront: Lambda/4 or better.

Parallelism: less than 30 arcsec

Single / Non-glued substrate

Astronomik now offers you a range of three different UV+IR blockers as Luminance filters. The different spectral window of each new Luminance filters is designed to tune your setup to get the sharpest image from any optical design and any camera.

The Luminance channel is probably the most important for a great final image! You want as much signal as possible so the filter should have the highest transmission possible with a wide spectral bandpass. This combination provides the greatest sensitivity and gives you the highest photon counts on your pixels. While the high transmission level is a great aspect of the new Astronomik Luminance filters, not all optical instruments or additional optical elements like correctors, field-flatteners or reducers, have perfect colour correction so it can be the width of the spectral band pass of  the Luminance filter that can cause problems. A band pass that is too wide will allow the transmission of incompletely focused light (Chromatic aberration), making stars appear soft or bloated. In such cases image processing can become difficult, so having a slightly narrowed spectral window in your Luminance filter can reduce or eliminate this damaging effect.

To give you all the tools to gather the best data possible we have expanded our line of Luminance filters: Now you can select a Luminance filter perfectly matched to the kind of telescope you use, to get the highest signal and sharpest image for the Luminance channel!
Depending on the color correction of your scope you may use a wider spectral window for the Luminance data. The L1 filter has the widest spectral window, the L2 is about the same as our current L-Filter and the L3 is much narrower.
If you use an optical system that is completely free of any chromatic aberration you should get an L1 filter for your setup. For general use the L2 filter is well suited to most optical systems with a corrector, flattener or reducer in the optical train while the L3 filter is designed for users of refractors with a less-than-perfect color correction and in combination with the new Deep-Sky RGB filters, the L3 filter will minimise the problem of bluish halos around stars.

The transmission curve characteristics and coatings on the new Luminance filters have been designed and engineered in such a way that no halos or reflections will be visible. Even with bright stars in the field of view you will be able to reveal the faintest structures in nebulas or galaxies.

Like all Astronomik Filters, the new Luminance filters are made using an extremely durable and scratch resistant coating, deposited on the finest polished optical substrate, which is free of any striae or internal strains. All substrates are made to exactly the same thickness, so all of our filters are parfocal.

Additional note for observers working under light polluted skies:
If your observing site suffers from light pollution you should try to use our CLS-CCD as a replacement for the Luminance filter. The transmission curve of the CLS-CCD will give you approximately the same amount of energy in all three colour channels while blocking nearly all unwanted artifical light pollution. Customers who replaced the Lx filter with the CLS-CCD are amazed by the increased quality of their data. This small change gives you the opportunity to take much deeper images from your current observing site.

The Antlia 3nm Pro Ultra Narrowband filter set includes the following items:

• Antlia H-Alpha 3nm filter
• Antlia OIII 3nm filter
• Antlia SII 3nm filter

Antlia SHO Pro narrowband filter optimizes the FWHM (full width half maximum) to 3nm bandpass. As the bandwidth becomes narrower, the 3nm Pro narrowband filters enhance contrast of emission targets by lowering the unwanted background signal. Antlia SHO 3nm Pro filter is designed to deliver 88% transmission at the 671.6nm line which provides you with the maximum signal and well defined nebulae structures.

Conventional broader narrowband filters cause a heavy loss in transmission due to the strong (Center Wavelength (CWL)-shift. We guarantee T>88% within 1nm range of the center bandwidth,which means that the 3nm Pro narrowband filter can guarantee high transmittance for working with both long focal ratios and fast optical systems. Blue-shift data show that Antlia 3nm Pro filters can be used with nearly all systems as fast as f/3 with minimal loss in emission signal and meets the requirements of fast optics like Hyperstar and RASA.

The out of band blocking specification is rated OD5 (0.001%) which delivers an excellent SNR(signal to noise ratio) and effective cut-off rate to minimize interference from other wavelengths. Improved sharp cut-off astrophotography 3nm Pro filters are designed to minimize halos around bright stars.

Application and Performance:

• High transmittance and smallest bandwidth to maximize contrast
• Steep spectral profile minimizes halos around bright stars
• A single substrate to eliminate internal reflections
• Narrowband Objects: Emission Nebulae, Planetary, Wolf Rayet Nebulae and Supernova Remnants
• Use in light polluted areas and dark sites
• Extends imaging time when the moon is up
• Antlia narrowband Pro filters can be used down to F/3 systems with slight loss of signal
• All Antlia Narrowband filters are edge blackened to eliminate internal reflections from stray light
• Superior optical reliability reduces post image processing

It's about a 3nm dual band designed to drastically reduce the effect of light pollution, the 3nm isolates the nebulae's emissions into H-Alpha (red) and OIII (green-blue). It blocks light pollution, maximizes the signal from nebulae, and darkens the sky background. It also blocks artificial light from mercury vapor lamps, high and low pressure sodium vapor lights, and unwanted natural light caused by the emission of neutral oxygen in our atmosphere. Maximizes the transmission of the main emission lines of the nebula in OIII (496nm and 500nm) and H-alpha (656nm). Used with DSLR, color/MONO CMOS and CCD, however, this filter is not suitable for fast ratio systems.

The advantage of L-Ultimate is that it only passes through the emission lines OIII(500.7nm) and Ha(656.3nm), in which case all other light pollution emission lines are eliminated so that only the emission and reflection signals of the nebula are captured during imaging. Therefore, the sky background of the image is darker, and the contrast between the nebulae and the signal-to-noise ratio are improved to the greatest extent. In heavy light pollution areas, the product can also selectively filter light pollution and clutter signals through the emission lines of nebulae, and finally avoid the impact of light pollution on astrophotography.

It is different from the series of dual-narrowband L-eNhance and L-eXtreme in that L-Ultimate is a dual-3nm bandwidth filter that only passes through Ha and OIII emission lines. You will get a darker sky background, more contrast of the image and the suppression on stars. L-Ultimate has also been optimised in terms of halo performance, so that there is no obvious halo when shooting on a bright star object.

Features

The new Astronomik Deep-Sky RGB filters are the result of a long and detailed process of research and development. We have created the most advanced set of RGB filters for Deep-Sky imaging available today.
The transmission curves of the three filters are designed to give you strong and vivid colors with a strong reinforcement of the most important emission lines. Data taken with the new Astronomik Deep-Sky RGB filters is easier to process into a beautiful final masterpiece.

Feedback from our test-users and the first customers is really exciting. All of them reported smaller, sharper stars and this was one of our design goals, so these filters are designed to give you the best contrast and the smallest stars possible!

During the design of the Deep-Sky RGB filters we took a close look at the sensitivity curves of today’s popular CCD cameras. The result was we found a way to make one set of filters for all kind of sensors ranging from KAF- and KAI-sensors, to the chips made by Sony, meaning you can do 1:1:1 ratio RGB exposures with all sensors, with only minimal tweaking necessary during processing to achieve perfect colours in your image!

The transmission curve characteristics and coatings on the new Deep Sky RGB filters have been designed and engineered in such a way that no halos or reflections will be visible. Even with bright stars in the field of view you will be able to reveal the faintest structures in nebulas or galaxies

Additional to the Deep-Sky RGB filters Astronomik now offers you three different Luminance filters. The different spectral window of each new Luminance filters is designed to tune your setup to get the sharpest image from any optical design and any camera, even with instruments with less-than-perfect colour correction. (Link einfügen)

Like all Astronomik Filters, the new Deep-Sky RGB filters are made using an extremely durable and scratch resistant coating, deposited on the finest polished optical substrate, which is free of any striae or internal strains. All substrates are made to exactly the same thickness, so all of our filters are parfocal.

Astronomik Deep-Sky RGB Key features:

• Maximum transmission of up to 95%
• Ultra-Sharp, pinpoint star images
• High contrast
• Easy to process data for vivid colours in the final image
• Optimized spectral windows for max photon counts on the sensor
• Made on finest, opticaly polished glass
• Extremly durable, scratch resistant coating
• MFR Coating technique for a wide range of focal ratios

The Astronomik ProPlanet 642 BP is the lastest addition to the family of Astromik ProPlanet IR-pass filters. The filter thrills because of it´s wide range of applikations for daylight IR-Photography, high-resolution lunar and planetary imaging and for taking beautifull and deep images of H-alpha regions when used for Astrophotography.

What does BP stand for ?

"BP" are short for "Bandpass": The filter gives you a 200nm spectral window from 642nm to 842nm. Contrary to the other two ProPlanet filters it blocks the longer infrared. Together with the Astronmik ProPlanet 742 and the ProPlanet 807 you can now have three choices to match your needs when imaging in the IR. The Astronomik ProPlanet 642 BP will be the right choice for the best image quite often!

The Astronomik ProPlanet 642 BP will give you three filters in one single product! Depending on your camera, the Astronomik ProPlanet 642 BP is a great tool either for daylight IR-imaging with your digital camera, or it will reduce seeing effects and enhance contrast when used for lunar- and planetary imaging, and third it will be a very good and low-priced H-alpha Filter for getting started in Deep-Sky Astrophotography of H-alpha regions.
Due to our skillfull developement with lot´s of tests we reached the goal to give you a filter which will do a perfect job to deliver amazing images.

Daylight IR-imaging:

• contrasty images with a great rendition of colors
• Clear "Wood-Effect" images
• Not Hot-Spot from longer IR!
• Short exposure times, about the same as normal VIS-imaging
• perfect choice for Infrared-Videos

High-resolution Lunar and planetary imaging:

• short Exposure times
• effective reduction of Seeing
• enhanced contrast
• no ghosts and best sharpness due to blocking the longer IR

Deep-Sky Astrophotography of HII regions:

• best transmission of the H-alpha line at 656nm
• about 40nm FWHM with astro-modified DSLRs
• amazing contrast under lightpolluted skies or moonlight
• low priced filter for getting started in H-alpha imaging
• easy focussing using camera display plus LiveView!

Guiding for Astrophotography:

• installing the 642BP in front of your autoguider-camera dramatically improves guiding quality, as image-motion from one frame to the next is minimized.

Technical Data

• more then 96% transmission for wavelengths of 642nm to 840nm
• blocking of wavelengths between 350nm and 630nm
• Parfocal with other Astronomik filters
• Glass thickness: 1mm
• Completely resistant against high humidity, scratches and aging effects
• Diffraction limited, the filter will not reduce the optical performance of your telescope!
• Astronomik filters are delivered in a high-quality, long lasting, filter box
• Since 2008 we do ship filters with a completely new design. Any kind of halo or strange reflection is a matter of past

From the start, the Astronomik OIII filter has been very specifically designed for the visual observation of gaseous and planetary nebulae. The extremely narrow pass band of the two OIII lines brings a substantial contrast gain to these lines even under best observation conditions. On faint super nova remnants and faint planetary nebulae the Astronomik OIII filter will often make the difference as to whether the object can bee seen or not!

The optimal aperture ratio for the use of the filter is 1:3.7 to 1:15 with apertures of more than 6" (150mm). Transmission losses and chromatic distortions, which arise with other filters, occur with Astronomik OIII filters only when extremely bright aperture ratios of 1:3 and more come into play. The Astronomik OIII filters thus can expand the view of dispersed objects, generally speaking, to the whole visual field of view of the eyepiece and are not limited to only the center of the eyepiece.

Main use

Since enough light must be available to make use of the OIII filter it is best to use this filter with apertures of more than 6" (150mm). Smaller instruments do not gather enough light for meaningful and satisfying astronomical work. However, please note: Many experienced Deep Sky observers, with apertures of more than 10" (250mm), prefer using the OIII filter instead of the more versatile UHC filter. Due to the high optical quality of the Astronomik OIII filter substrate you will see the same needle-sharp stars as you would from your regular telescope.

The UHC (Ultra High Contrast) broadband filter is designed to improve the visibility of various deepsky objects. By selectively reducing the transmission of wavelengths of light pollutants, specifically those produced by artificial lightings including mercury vapor lamps, both high & low pressure sodium vapor lights and the unwanted natural light caused by neutral oxygen emission in our atmosphere (i.e. skyglow). Together with the highly transparent in main nebula emission lines at OIII(496nm and 500nm), H-beta (486nm), NII(654nm and 658nm), H-alpha(656nm) as well as SII(672nm), the filter is suitable for enhancing the contrast and details for both visual and photograghic purpose at sub-rural area with heavy light pollution.

Main Use and Performance

Suitable for color CCD cameras and unmodified DSLRs.

UHC with narrower passband provides higher contrast than CLS. Thus it is more suitable for urban environment where you suffer from severe light pollution.

UHC has a substantial red passband and offer superb views for objects like the Orion Nebula (M42).

Light pollution filter do not eliminate the effects of light pollution or increase the object’s brightness. In many cases, they increase the contrast between nebula and night sky, not brightening the nebula.

WARNING: The filters of Optolong are not designed for sun observation. DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITH OPTOLONG FILTER. You would be BLIND if you fail to observe the warning.

The Astronomik CLS CCD is suitable under light-polluted skies for DSLR Cameras, which have been remodeled for astronomical use. The filter enhances the contrast between all deep-sky objects and the background. 

The CLS-CCD Filter enhances the contrast between astronomical objects and the background. Due to the wider transmission curve compared to UHC filters, a greater amount of light will pass the filter. Stars will be less dimmed. This filter has been optimized to block as much spurious light as possible and simultaneously provide the best performance for 'useful' light. A good filter for DSLR-, CCD- and film b/w-photography as well as observation of deep-sky-objects with telescopes or photo lenses of all aperture f/2 and above.

Main use

The filter blocks completely emission lines of artificial light sources like streetlights (e.g. sodium- and mercury-vapor) as well as the airglow. All 'important' emission lines as well as the spectral range of the night-adapted eye are beeing passed. The supplementary IR-blocking layer allows the use for DSLR- and Webcams without an integrated IR-block filter.

Other uses

• Easier resolution of Double Stars.
• With the EOS-Clip model, photography with DSLR cameras is feasible even unter extreme light-polluting conditions without shifting the white balance.
• The 1,25" and 2" socket models can be used for observations from light-polluted areas.
• If you plan to create color images from emission line data, our CLS-CCD filter is a great choice for the Luminance channel

Alternatives

CLS: For cameras with an integrated IR-filter or for visual observation.

Suitability

• Visual observation (dark skies): Good, to reduce light pollution by mercury-vapour lamps (streetlight)
• Visual observation (urban skies): Reasonable, an UHC-E or UHC filter is more suitable
• Film photography: Very good, colour balance is near perfect
• CCD photography: Very good, optimized rejection of light pollution
• DSLR photography (original): Good, colour balance shifted but contrast enhanced
• DSLR photography (astro modified): Very good, colour balance is near perfect
• DSLR photography (MC modified): Very good, colour balance is near perfect
• Webcam / Video (Planets): Unsuitable
• Webcam / Video (Deep Sky): Very good, if light pollution is a big problem

Technical Data

• 95% transmission at 486nm (H-beta)
• 95% transmission at 496nm (OIII)
• 95% transmission at 501nm (OIII)
• 97% transmission at 656nm (H-alpha)
• pass from 450 to 520nm and from 640 to 690nm
• Parfocal with other Astronomik filters
• Glass thickness: 1mm
• Completely resistant against high humidity, scratches and aging effects
• Diffraction limited, the filter will not reduce the optical performance of your telescope!
• Astronomik filters are delivered in a high-quality, long lasting, filter box
• Since 2008 we do ship filters with a completely new design. Any kind of halo or strange reflection is a matter of past

Astronomik now offers you a range of three different UV+IR blockers as Luminance filters. The different spectral window of each new Luminance filters is designed to tune your setup to get the sharpest image from any optical design and any camera.

The Luminance channel is probably the most important for a great final image! You want as much signal as possible so the filter should have the highest transmission possible with a wide spectral bandpass. This combination provides the greatest sensitivity and gives you the highest photon counts on your pixels. While the high transmission level is a great aspect of the new Astronomik Luminance filters, not all optical instruments or additional optical elements like correctors, field-flatteners or reducers, have perfect colour correction so it can be the width of the spectral band pass of  the Luminance filter that can cause problems. A band pass that is too wide will allow the transmission of incompletely focused light (Chromatic aberration), making stars appear soft or bloated. In such cases image processing can become difficult, so having a slightly narrowed spectral window in your Luminance filter can reduce or eliminate this damaging effect.

To give you all the tools to gather the best data possible we have expanded our line of Luminance filters: Now you can select a Luminance filter perfectly matched to the kind of telescope you use, to get the highest signal and sharpest image for the Luminance channel!
Depending on the color correction of your scope you may use a wider spectral window for the Luminance data. The L1 filter has the widest spectral window, the L2 is about the same as our current L-Filter and the L3 is much narrower.
If you use an optical system that is completely free of any chromatic aberration you should get an L1 filter for your setup. For general use the L2 filter is well suited to most optical systems with a corrector, flattener or reducer in the optical train while the L3 filter is designed for users of refractors with a less-than-perfect color correction and in combination with the new Deep-Sky RGB filters, the L3 filter will minimise the problem of bluish halos around stars.

The transmission curve characteristics and coatings on the new Luminance filters have been designed and engineered in such a way that no halos or reflections will be visible. Even with bright stars in the field of view you will be able to reveal the faintest structures in nebulas or galaxies.

Like all Astronomik Filters, the new Luminance filters are made using an extremely durable and scratch resistant coating, deposited on the finest polished optical substrate, which is free of any striae or internal strains. All substrates are made to exactly the same thickness, so all of our filters are parfocal.

Additional note for observers working under light polluted skies:
If your observing site suffers from light pollution you should try to use our CLS-CCD as a replacement for the Luminance filter. The transmission curve of the CLS-CCD will give you approximately the same amount of energy in all three colour channels while blocking nearly all unwanted artifical light pollution. Customers who replaced the Lx filter with the CLS-CCD are amazed by the increased quality of their data. This small change gives you the opportunity to take much deeper images from your current observing site.

The CHROMA TECHNOLOGY OIII (3nm) Filter is a high-performance narrowband filter specifically designed for astrophotography and scientific imaging. Engineered with precision, this filter isolates the Oxygen III (OIII) emission line at 500.7nm, providing a tight 3nm bandwidth that significantly reduces light pollution, moonlight, and other unwanted wavelengths. The result is unmatched contrast and clarity, allowing you to capture faint nebular structures and intricate details in deep-sky objects.

Crafted with advanced multi-layer dielectric coatings, the CHROMA OIII filter offers exceptional transmission and durability, ensuring optimal performance for years of use. Its strict quality control standards make it an ideal choice for professional and amateur astrophotographers alike, delivering sharp, high-contrast images with minimal halos or reflections.

The 3nm Chroma H-alpha Filter is the pinnacle of precision for astrophotography, designed to deliver unmatched contrast and detail for capturing deep-sky objects. Its ultra-narrow 3nm bandwidth isolates the H-alpha emission line at 656.3nm with exceptional precision, effectively eliminating light pollution and other unwanted wavelengths, even in challenging imaging conditions.

Engineered with state-of-the-art coatings and superior optical quality, this filter minimizes halos, reflections, and ghosting, providing crisp, artifact-free images. Ideal for use with fast optical systems, the Chroma 3nm filter excels in revealing the intricate structures of emission nebulae and other faint targets. Its robust, weather-resistant build ensures consistent performance, whether you're imaging in a remote observatory or under urban skies.

For astrophotographers seeking the highest level of detail and contrast, the 3nm Chroma H-alpha filter is the ultimate tool to unlock the beauty of the universe.

The Chroma Technology 3nm SII filter is a high-performance narrowband filter designed for astrophotography and scientific imaging. It isolates the Sulfur II (SII) emission line at 672.4nm with an ultra-narrow 3nm bandwidth, delivering exceptional contrast and detail for capturing deep-sky objects, especially emission nebulae.

Engineered with precision, this filter features advanced multi-layer dielectric coatings for superior light transmission and durability. Its ultra-narrow design significantly reduces light pollution and moonlight interference, making it ideal for imaging under challenging conditions. Whether you're working in urban environments or under pristine dark skies, the Chroma 3nm SII filter ensures sharp, halo-free images with minimal reflections, making it an essential tool for astrophotographers aiming for stunning, detailed results.

The Chroma Luminance Filter is a premium optical filter designed to deliver the highest level of clarity and precision for astrophotography. Engineered with ultra-high transmission and strict wavelength control, this filter allows the full visible spectrum to pass while effectively blocking unwanted infrared (IR) light, ensuring sharp, high-contrast images.

Key Features:

• Superior Optical Quality: Manufactured to the highest standards for minimal wavefront distortion and optimal image sharpness.
• Maximized Transmission: Provides exceptional light throughput for increased signal-to-noise ratio in luminance data.
• Infrared Blocking: Designed to cut unwanted IR light, reducing halos and enhancing contrast in deep-sky imaging.
• Precision Coatings: Hard-coated for durability and consistent performance over time, even in harsh observing conditions.
• Seamless Integration: Compatible with monochrome CCD and CMOS cameras for high-resolution astrophotography.

Perfect for imaging faint deep-sky objects, the Chroma Luminance Filter ensures exceptional detail and contrast, making it an essential component for any astrophotographer’s filter set.

The Chroma Technology Green Filter is a high-precision astrophotography filter designed for LRGB imaging with monochrome CCD and CMOS cameras. Engineered for maximum light transmission in the green wavelength range, this filter enhances color accuracy and contrast, delivering stunning deep-sky images with exceptional detail.

Key Features:

• High Transmission Efficiency: Optimized to capture green wavelengths with minimal signal loss.
• Precision Optical Design: Ensures sharp, high-contrast imaging with minimal wavefront distortion.
• Advanced Anti-Reflection Coatings: Reduces halos and reflections for cleaner, more detailed astrophotographs.
• Infrared (IR) Blocking: Effectively eliminates unwanted IR contamination for accurate color reproduction.
• Durable & Reliable: Hard-coated for long-lasting performance in demanding observing conditions.

Perfect for astrophotographers seeking optimal color balance and detail, the Chroma Technology Green Filter is an essential tool for producing stunning LRGB deep-sky images.

The Chroma Technology Blue Filter is a high-performance astrophotography filter designed for precise LRGB imaging with monochrome CCD and CMOS cameras. Engineered for maximum light transmission in the blue wavelength range, this filter enhances color accuracy and contrast, ensuring crisp and vibrant deep-sky images.

Key Features:

• High Transmission Efficiency: Optimized for capturing blue wavelengths with minimal signal loss.
• Superior Optical Quality: Minimizes wavefront distortion for sharp, high-contrast imaging.
• Advanced Anti-Reflection Coatings: Reduces halos and reflections for cleaner, more detailed astrophotographs.
• Infrared (IR) Blocking: Effectively eliminates unwanted IR contamination, ensuring accurate color reproduction.
• Durable & Long-Lasting: Hard-coated for superior durability and consistent performance in all observing conditions.

Designed for astrophotographers who demand precision and clarity, the Chroma Technology Blue Filter ensures exceptional color balance and detail in LRGB deep-sky imaging.